Conventional self-cleaning dust collectors of the described type typically comprise a sheet metal housing that is divided by a transverse panel having a plurality of rows of openings therein, and so that the panel defines a lower air inlet chamber and an upper air outlet chamber. Cylindrical filter elements, such as fabric filter bags or cartridge filters, are mounted so as to be in registry with the openings and depend downwardly into the inlet chamber. In operation, the dust-laden air enters the inlet chamber, the entrained particles are deposited on the outside surfaces of the filter bags, and the filtered air flows upwardly through the inside of the bags and is discharged through the upper outlet chamber.
Such dust-collecting apparatuses are typically installed on-site at industrial and manufacturing facilities where there is a need to remove dust and other contaminants from the air. Facilities where dust collection is typically required include power and steam generation sites, cement manufacturing sites, iron and steel mills, mining facilities, chemical and petro-chemical facilities, and glass manufacturing sites, among others. Due to the size of these facilities, the nature of the manufacturing processes, and the high output of product involved, a substantial volume of particles and other contaminants are produced that must be removed from the environment and addressed.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for systems and apparatuses that can efficiently process greater volumes of contaminated air and yet can be transported to the installation site in a simple and cost-effective manner.